Digital Commons Network^™

Initial Construct Validation Of The Color Figure Mazes Test, Kimberly Lee Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Measurement of cognitive abilities across diverse ethnocultural and racial groups has a contentious history, with broad politico-legal, economic, and ethical impact. There is an abundance of literature on attention, concentration, and executive functioning. However, specific literature pertaining to traditionally under-served populations, linguistic minorities and those with low education and literacy levels are limited. This study reports data gathered in an attempt to validate a Spanish language instrument of frontal lobe functioning, called the Color Figure Mazes Test, on monolingual Spanish speaking male day laborers. The instrument was originally developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the University of California, …

Rhetorical Agency And Survivance: American Indians In College Composition, Rebecca Lynn Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian writers in college have a distinct cultural background related to rhetorical agency and language. Particularly for Indian students who grew up on reservations, the effects of official federal policies regarding the use of English for assimilation remain significant. However, in writing classes, we have an opportunity to reverse course and to specifically teach toward what Scott Lyons calls rhetorical sovereignty.

In this project, four American Indian college students demonstrate agency with writing. All four students grew up on federal Indian reservations (Standing Rock and White Earth), and at the time of this study, were enrolled in their first …

Female Spectators In The July Monarchy And Henry Scheffer's Entrée De Jeanne D’Arc À Orléans, Kalisha Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis I consider Henry Scheffer's Entrée de Jeanne d’Arc à Orléans, le 8 mai 1429 (1843) in relation to female audiences of the July Monarchy. As a part of the larger Galerie des Batailles in the Musée Historique instituted in 1837 by Louis-Philippe, Entrée de Jeanne d'Arc has been addressed relative to the political objectives of the monarchy. Limited scholarship surrounding the Galerie des Batailles has focused on its evolution from royal apartments in the château de Versailles to public museum. However, the broadening of audiences during the July Monarchy and potential points of engagement between viewer and …

Macrobotanical Evidence Of Diet And Plant Use At Wolf Village (42ut273), Utah Valley, Utah., Wendy Dahle

Theses and Dissertations

Farming played a role in the subsistence base for the Fremont culture, but there is no consensus as to how significant that role was. Maize is consistently found in Fremont sites, but evidence of wild plant use is also abundant. The use of both domesticates and foraged plants by the Fremont, combined with the diversity of the landscape and sites that were inhabited by the Fremont, contributes to the diversity of theories on Fremont subsistence. This thesis examines evidence for plant usage at Wolf Village, a Fremont site in Utah Valley. Wolf Village is ideally situated for a Fremont farming …

Examining The Praxis Ii For Initial Licensure In French, German, And Spanish: Perspectives Of Foreign Language Faculty Members And Teacher Candidates, Kelly Marie Moser

Theses and Dissertations

In compliance with NCLB, states receiving Title I funding were to ensure that all teachers of core subject areas, including foreign languages, were highly qualified by the end of the 2005-2006 academic year. Given that 44 states assess teacher quality through The Praxis Series tests, and 32 of these rely on one of the Praxis II subject-matter tests to gauge foreign language competency (ETS, 2010a), research examining the perspectives of teacher candidates and faculty members regarding these licensure tests is needed. The purposes of this study were to (a) examine the perspectives of teacher candidates and faculty members regarding the …

Everything That Rises Must Converge: A Chinese-English Contrastive Rhetoric Case Study, Shuwen Li

Theses and Dissertations

The traditional definition of contrastive rhetoric (CR) emphasizes prescribing and teaching differences in rhetorical patterns. This paper raises questions about traditional CR and analyzes recent developments, which move from differences to similarities in rhetorical patterns, within the context of increasing globalization. Through surveying Chinese-English CR, China's New Culture Movement, and China's New Concept Writing Competition, this paper proposes seven hypotheses with an emphasis on exploring the commonly accepted themes and the possibility of reaching convergence in cross-cultural communication. Using Burke's definition of rhetoric as the theoretical framework, this paper conducts a case study on Chinese and English movie reviews. Tagmemic …

Types Of Religiousness And Marital Relationships, Toshi Shichida

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between two types of religiousness (progressive and orthodox) and marital relationships was investigated using qualitative data from a sample of 26 Christian couples (13 progressive and 39 orthodox individuals) from California and New England. The focus of the study was individuals' frameworks of values and goals (moral order) and the ontological views behind them. Text analysis, t-tests for between-group differences of coded results, and phenomenological analysis were used. Results indicated that couples in the progressive group had Non-transcendent Selfhood as a basic moral order and engaged in mutual loving-kindness to respect and care for each other …

Living With Hiv: Views Through The Blog, Linda Eastham

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to develop a greater clarity of how HIV infected individuals live and work within the sphere of HIV infection as represented through unsolicited, personal narratives posted on blogs. Existing, single author, personal blogs were identified via a search engine. Blogs were defined as the blog author's postings and all responses, whether written by the blog author or a reader respondent. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed to respect indicators of bloggers' intentions for privacy, e.g., blogs which required a password were excluded. A total of 14 blogs met inclusion criteria. Actions to …

Using Authentic Materials To Enhance Reading And Speaking Tasks At The Novice And Intermediate Levels For High School Spanish Instruction, Cinthya Tumlison

Theses and Dissertations

The popularity of authentic materials provides foreign language teachers with more resources to practice communicative language teaching. Finding authentic materials in the target language has become very accessible. Used appropriately, authentic materials can provide students with greater access to the target language and culture. Nevertheless, creating activities using authentic materials without editing the text can be very challenging and time consuming. Sometimes teachers perceive authentic materials to be too difficult and complicated to use for novice learners and would rather only use edited or simplified texts provided by their textbook curriculum. The focus of this thesis is to determine whether …

The Anthropology And Sociology Of Proponent And Opponent Worldviews In Central Arkansas Regarding Same-Sex Issues And Constitutionally Protected Rights: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, Rohn Muse

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis autoethnographically examines divergent worldviews, specifically with respect to the contentious issues of same-sex marriage and adoption/foster-parenting of children by unmarried cohabitating couples in Arkansas. Moral panics and moral politics are central to current debates about each. This thesis integrates and synthesizes interdisciplinary perspectives and insights while deconstructing and unpacking dissimilar beliefs and behaviors found in this Bible-belt state. Selected GLBTQQ/SGL narratives, interwoven with my story, compare left-leaning liberalism with ultraconservative cognitive framing utilized to oppose gay rights. Vicious targeting of gays prevails in absolute opposition to gay issues when strictly based in faith and resolute religious dogma. Humanism …

Pre- And Post-Migration Attitudes Among Ghanaian International Students Living In The United States: A Study Of Acculturation And Psychological Well-Being, Nicole Fischer

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated attitudes among international students prior to their departure and following their arrival in the United States through a phenomenological research approach. Eight participants completed individual interviews in Accra, Ghana, and four participants completed follow-up email correspondence. The purpose of the study was to explain pre-migration expectations, post-migration experiences, and compare similarities and differences between perceptions and actual encounters. The researcher investigated five principle components of pre-migration: satisfaction with life prior to departure from the country of origin, impressions and expectations of the host country and predominate influences, awareness of discrimination in the host country, and culture-specific …

Community Interactions And Water As Drivers Of Soil Microbial Communities, Madhavi Latha Kakumanu

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the response of soil microbial communities to various environmental stresses is of current interest, because of their pivotal role in nutrient cycling, soil organic matter mineralization and influence on plant growth. Determining the affect of several biotic and abiotic factors on soil microbial communities is the overall objective of the study. The specific goals are to determine 1) the response of microbial communities to water deficit in soil and 2) how the presence of a rich biotic community determines the direction of microbial community development in cultures. Both goals are novel and unique contributions to understanding microbial ecology in …

Projection Design For A Contemporary Dance Work By Iván Angelus In Hungary, Tennessee Dixon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to document and analyze my projection design for a new dance piece, "VŰ", directed by Angelus Iván and staged at Trafó in Budapest, Hungary. Included is an account of the design process, the concept and projection development described scene by scene, execution, performance and evaluation. The paper ends with reflections on the relatively new field of image projections, and my professional goals in scenic design.

Using A Multi-Sensory Teaching Approach To Impact Learning And Community In A Second Grade Classroom, Melissa Stoffers

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how multi-sensory education impacts learning and community in a second grade general education classroom. Lesson plans that targeted multiple senses - and oftentimes included team-building activities - were developed and implemented in the classroom. Qualitative data was collected through interviews, focus groups, student work, and a teacher research journal. After analyzing the data, it was revealed that multi-sensory education can lead to student motivation and engagement, as well as provide a generative space for the use of technology and making connections to the outside world. Multi-sensory education can also help teachers to …

Procrastination Behaviors In College Students, Lauren Rosetti

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore a student's procrastination and how it relates to their motivation and self-esteem. Procrastination has been found in previous literature to be a prevalent behavior among college students, about 95% of students engage in procrastination. It was hypothesized that students who actively procrastinated would have a positive relationship with intrinsic motivation and high self-esteem. Three scales were administered to students in psychology classes at Rowan (n=69). Analysis revealed that no significant relationship was found between procrastination and intrinsic motivation or procrastination and self esteem. Implications for future research are discussed.

Division Of Labor And Marital Quality In Russia, Carol Synae Kim

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether investigation of the linkages between division of labor and marital quality would produce the same results in Russia that have been found in the U.S. Russian couples (n = 172) participated in the study by answering three packets of questionnaires. The Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale was used to measure each partner's rating of their levels of satisfaction with their marital relationship and their spouse. The results from the structural equation models indicated that the more the wives perceived themselves doing more and expressed dissatisfaction of their spouse's contribution to child care tasks and apartment maintenance, the …

Cry The Beloved Media: New Media And Student Perceptions In A World Literature Classroom, Timbre Janiece Newby Greenwood

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research project addressed the infusion of media literacy and new media into a standard secondary English language arts curriculum. In examining students' perceptions of South Africa as they interacted with new media texts in conjunction with the traditional literary text Cry, the Beloved Country, this study also explored the manner in which students' media interactions informed their reading of the novel. As a result of the research data, the author asserts that media literacy education can, in fact, play an effective role in teaching literature within the world literature classroom.

Factors Influencing An Increase In The U.S. Study Abroad Poplulation In The Middle East/North Africa, Cara Kathleen Lane

Theses and Dissertations

In the last 60 years, the relationship between the United States and the Middle East has become increasingly important to policy makers, academics, business people, and the general population. Particularly in the fallout of the events of September 11, 2001, both the U.S. government and the public have acknowledged an immediate need for a deepening of American understanding of the people, languages, and culture of the Middle East/North Africa (MENA). During the last decade, one significant way in which Americans have gained in-depth knowledge about this region has been through participation in Study Abroad (SA) programs. Data from the Institute …

Defining The Bacterial Flora Of Periodontal Pockets In Chronic Periodontitis Patients, Rafael Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe the subgingival bacterial biodiversity in untreated chronic periodontitis patients through the use of next generation 16S rRNA molecular analysis, and to determine similarities or differences between deep and shallow pockets within the same patients. METHODS: The analysis involved paired subgingival plaque samples from 24 subjects diagnosed with Generalized Moderate to Severe Chronic Periodontitis. One sample was selected from a single site having a probing depth >5 mm (i.e. Deep Site), and the other from a site with a probing depth <3mm (i.e. Shallow Site) within each subject. Bacterial DNA amplification of the V4-V6 region of the 16S rRNA was performed. The amplicons were sequenced via 454 Roche Genome Sequencer FLX System. The identified sequences were evaluated, and then compared to calculated false discovery rates. RESULTS: A total of 119 independent microbial genera were identified within the samples analyzed. Seven genera were identified to be statistically significant (p<0.05) in their association to deep or shallow sites following t-test and boot strap randomization: Actinomyces (p=0.004), Methylobacterium (p=0.028), Veillonella (p=0.028), and Rothia (p=0.038), and Streptococcus (p=0.033) in Shallow sites; while Mycoplasma (p=0.007) and Fusobacterium (p=0.016) were associated with deep sites. However, taking into account the calculated false discovery rates, it is suggested that none of the 119 microbial genera identified in this study were significantly associated with either deep nor shallow sites. CONCLUSION: The microbial genera identified within this study to be associated with deep and shallow sites follows the traditional pattern anticipated from the literature. However, the calculated false discovery rates suggest that these results may have occurred by chance and not due to a true difference.

The Essential Characteristics Of Academic Advisors, Mary L. Ward

Theses and Dissertations

What started as an activity valued for its oversight, the work of academic advisors have become a means leading to other ends, such as retention, student engagement, student satisfaction, persistence, and time to degree. The purpose of this research was to identify the essential characteristics of academic advisors; this was achieved by asking a Delphic panel of academic advising experts to identify these characteristics. Academic advisor primary responsibilities include but are not limited to academic advising on general education requirements, serving as a liaison between academic units, and maintaining academic records (Tuttle, 2000). In the process of doing these things …

Exploring The Functional Interaction Between Camk-Ii And P53, Raymond Lai

Theses and Dissertations

Calcium (Ca2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase 2 (CaMK-II) is a multifunctional member of a family of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine protein kinases that respond to transient intracellular calcium signaling. CaMK-II has been reported to be involved with transcription regulation, cell motility, neuronal development, cell cycle regulation, and more recently early development of vertebrates (Easley et al., 2008; Rothschild et al., 2009; Francescatto et al., 2010). Through previous work in the lab using tandem mass spectrometry and “substrate-trapping mutants”, tumor suppressor protein 53 (p53) was identified as a novel CaMK-II binding partner in tissue culture. In this study, I sought to provide characterization of the functional …

Translocation Effects Of Lcrv Extracellular Surface Residues And Regulation Of Lcrg Binding To The T3ss Of Yersinia Pestis, Thomas A. Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

Yersinia pestis, the etiological agent of the plague, immobilizes the host's innate immune response by translocating proteins called Yops (Yersinia outer proteins) into the eukaryotic cytoplasm using a type III secretion system (T3SS) injectisome known as the Yersinia secretion complex (Ysc). The T3SS injectisome, in many ways, resembles a hypodermic needle, composed of oligomeric rings with distinct areas responsible for different functions and many of these areas share homology to the flagellar T3SS basal body inner and outer membrane rings. Starting with the cytoplasmic region of the inner membrane known as the C-ring, this is an area where secretion is …

Reviving The Latent Content Of Alchemy In William Shakespeare's Othello, Sarita Clara Rich

Theses and Dissertations

While many of Shakespeare's alchemical allusions are noted for their language of positive regeneration and healing, the playwright's departures from these conventional uses of alchemy deserve further attention. This essay presents an examination of inversions in the redemptive alchemical paradigm of Othello, a play whose connections to alchemy are not announced by obvious references to gold making, the philosopher's stone, or other key terms relating to the discourse of the opus that a modern audience is likely to recognize. I argue that in Othello, alchemical allusions are more subtly deployed in the language that describes Othello and Desdemona's …

Emulating Gossip Girl: Aggressive And Prosocial Material In Adolescent Novels And Associations With Behavior, Laura Ann Stockdale

Theses and Dissertations

Decades of researchers have found that exposure to aggressive content in multiple forms of media is associated with both physically (Bushman & Anderson, 2001) and relationally (Coyne, Nelson, Graham-Kevan, Keister, & Grant, 2010) aggressive behavior. Similarly, other researchers have found that exposure to prosocial content in multiple forms of media is associated with increased prosocial behavior (Mares & Underwood, 2008). While these associations have been studied in a variety of media, books as a form of media have received less research attention. The current study examined the associations between the content of adolescents' favorite novels and their normative beliefs about …

The Political, Social, Historical, And Literary Significance Of The Writings Of Carolina Maria De Jesus, Kristin Alexis Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The writings of Carolina Maria de Jesus, specifically Quarto de despejo, Casa de alvenaria, Diario de Bitita, and poetry selections from her collection Minha antologia are oft times excluded from "canonical" literature. Many critics both in the press and in academic circles refuse to recognize her writings and story as works of merit, focusing primarily on surface issues without addressing the content of her works. The reason for this is complex, spanning the issues of race, education, socio-economic status, and gender. Contrary to the arguments of many critics over the past sixty years, Carolina's writings are valuable …

Spatiality And Temporality In Communication Theories, Diana Iulia Nastasia

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has been planned and written as an extended review of literature on space and time within and outside of communication studies, and as a thorough categorization of issues about spatiality and temporality that have been and might be employed outside of and within communication studies. This dissertation has been envisioned and conceived as a critical look at both theories that consider space and time as unproblematic, that reify an ideal-typical perspective of time and an absolute-universal perspective of space, and theories that problematize space and time, that challenge the settled and predominant view of spatiality and temporality. The …

Remapping Borders And Boundaries In The Middle East: Amitav Ghosh And Mourid Barghouti, Reem Yasser Zaki Abd El-Barr

Theses and Dissertations

The Middle East map has undergone a remarkable change since the rise of geopolitical borders in the early twentieth century. These borders constructed by colonial powers and maintained by postcolonial ones have not only divided the region into nation-states but have also entailed boundaries between people on the basis of national, cultural, linguistic and religious differences. This study examines how borders and boundaries are contested and subverted in two Third World narrative productions set in the Middle East: In an Antique Land (1992) by the Indian-Bengali writer Amitav Ghosh and Ra'aytu RÄ m AllÄ h (1997), a memoir by the …

Characterization Of The Expression Of Bdnf And Cgrp And Their Regulatory Pathways In Dorsal Root Ganglion During Cystitis., Sharon Yu

Theses and Dissertations

Interstitial cystitis is a chronic debilitating disease that causes pain and increased frequency of micturition, amongst other symptoms, without any identifiable cause. This disease affects a large number of the population, yet the etiology is still unknown. The present study aimed to characterize BDNF and CGRP—two neuropeptides that have both been proven to play an important role in the transmission of pain as well as in hypersensitivity. The signaling pathways regulating the expression of the two neuropeptides were also examined. Results revealed that BDNF protein expression levels increased in both L1 and L6 DRG following 48 hours post CYP-induced cystitis. …

Working In The Transference As A Multicultural Intervention, Goni Hary Bissell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to use a critical review of the literature to provide a framework for working psychodynamically/psychoanalytically with clients that is informed by developments in multicultural psychology. The psychoanalytic technique of working in the transference from a contemporary Kleinian perspective is discussed and analyzed from the perspective of multicultural psychology. The history of multicultural psychology is discussed with a focus on events that led to the formulation of principles of multicultural competence. The history of the concept of transference from the perspective of Freud and Klein is described in order to introduce the writings of contemporary …

The Application Of Cultural Values By Contemporary Alaska Native Leaders And Alaska Native Corporations: Individual And Organizational Implications, Lorraine Henry

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of traditional Alaska Native cultural values on current business practices within Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs). Five past and eight current chief executive officers of ANCs were interviewed to determine the impact of traditional Alaska Native cultural values on the ANCs. Key issues were identified by both samples. Basic assumptions of each sample also were determined. Values driving both samples additionally were identified. The study findings revealed substantial similarities from the two sets of leaders. It was concluded that reconciling the two different value systems (Western and Alaska Native) appears to have been achieved by blending …